I’ve been a member here for nearly 6 years with just over 1000 posts (took about 8 months to get activated as Tom forgot and i never asked again :D). More active recently but Octopus Overlords (1700 posts in 9 years) and GamingTrend (800 in 9 years) are also places I like to visit, there seems to be quite a lot of crossover from the 3 sites and i recognise a fair few users from all 3. Anyways to my question
I find I visit everyday especially from work where I can visit as often as I like and find many times I start typing a reply and never post it due to the point i’m trying to make coming over poorly or easily misunderstand. Also some times my reply comes over a little harsh or unreasonable and I end up cancelling the post rather than put it up and cause any sort of issue. Also on some issues I find coming from the other side of pond there is stuff or views that I just don’t really get or even lack understanding due to the difference in country (unsure how difficult this would be if you speak a different language as well).
In my work life I am in a management role and reasonably forth right in my opinions and views but I find posting online that I don’t behave in the same way in fact I try to be more laid back and easy going, maybe because it’s harder to put my point over in a few short sentences than a 5 minute waffle (slang to talk nonsense in the uk) in real life.
Also probably the reason I like the idea of a Like button as i don’t like to just do a count padding great or yes reply often.
Anyone else have any reasons why they just lurk or maybe change their mind when it comes to posting something?
Well 2,266 posts in 6 years isn’t rolling in posts is it :O)
Normally I wouldn’t bother posting the above as really it comes across as a dig when really it’s just a tongue in cheek reply but with my main for of humour being a slightly dark, sarcastic and ironic form it really it really doesn’t translate well to text at all, probably another reason why I don’t post as much.
There are times when I think better of posting something, mostly from fear of offending others (I need to dial down the snark sometimes).
Restraint of pen and tongue and all that … but, I don’t think it’s as much of an issue for you as you seem to - somehow you did let 1000+ posts get through! That’s not exactly lurking.
I have abandoned many a potential post just because I thought my point wasn’t worth saying or it wasn’t expressed well enough. I’m sure this only accounts for several hundred posts though.
If it weren’t for the sports threads here I’m sure my post count would be significantly lower.
I very rarely post mostly because I don’t have the time or inclination for debate. There have been a few times on this and other forums that I’ve expressed views that others have (sometimes most snarkily) disagreed with in subsequent posts, and I very simply don’t have the time, patience, or enthusiasm that most seem to have to argue, rebut, explain, and/or defend said posts, let alone check in on them with any regularity to “keep up” with the discusssion. It honestly amazes me that so many posters here and on other forums have so much time on their hands that they can follow as many threads as they do and post as much as they do. Posters with post counts in the tens of thousands completely baffle me. I totally fail to understand how anyone can lead an active, functional life when they spend so much time on internet forums. I most sincerely do NOT mean any disrespect or insult by this. On one hand, I truly wish I had that kind of free time, but on the other, I’m very glad I don’t.
Time to post and no reason to review are main culprits.
If I start to type a reply (even one several paragraphs long) and have to leave the computer for whatever reason, I almost always come back and decide to forgo posting. I almost always review what I’ve written and decide that it’s
Yeah sometimes I just…wait, no, too mean. Backspacing over that.
Then there’s…dang, someone already pointed that out. I guess what I was going to say was too repetitive without a unique perspective that adds something to the conversation.
Then there…hmmmm…what’s the best way of saying this? Crap, don’t have the time to edit it.
I actually made a similar post over at OO a few years ago. I learned that practically everyone has had episodes of type…then delete. I think it’s just this type of medium, which is conversational and generally friendly but without the nuances of verbal/visual language to modify it.
It seems to me that anybody with a post count in the 4 digits is doing just fine. I certainly don’t have enough to add a new gaming related post everyday. There are weeks and months when I don’t feel like arguing about politics.
On balance I think there are slightly more posts that I wish I had not made than the reverse. My proof-reading skills of my own posts are poor enough when I am wide awake, when I get tired or rush, well hell I can’t understand my own posts reading them latter.
Plus I always vote for quality (and length) over quantity.
My high post count here is somewhat baffling to me. I’m not the “space guy” like Rubin or the “politics guy” like McCullough. I think its mainly because when I was unemployed for a year and a half I spent a huge amount of time here. My posting elsewhere is much more reserved - I have 2500 posts in 8.5 years on GamingTrend, 3200 posts in 7.5 years on OO, and 1400 posts in about a year or so on BF.
Lol, well we’ve known each other online probably since you started on OO which was 8 years ago and we have also played online together seeing as we are some of the few eu posters and had some good games etc.
Occasionally you can be forthright with your opinion but that’s cool someone has to be and saying something is always bound to annoy someone.
Also you are from Denmark, so must be barkin mad anyways ;D
To add being out of synchronicity with the majority of forum posters doesn’t help, we post they reply 5/8 hours later for the majority and by then we are on to something else.
